Construction, Traffic, Forest Fires: What's Driving AQI Spike In Uttarakhand

The air quality in many cities of Uttarakhand, places often seen as a refuge by those looking to escape the poor to severe AQI in Delhi-NCR and surrounding regions, has seen a dip in the past week. The culprit: rapid and indiscriminate felling of trees, large-scale construction, and a continuous increase in the number of vehicles.

On Wednesday, Dehradun recorded an AQI of 267, while AQI quality also deteriorated in other cities like Kashipur and Rishikesh.

Here is a look at the possible causes:

• Climate change: Climate change means that neither is there proper heat nor proper rainfall. The summer season is growing longer and the winter season is becoming shorter. Snowfall is occurring in March and April, and the snow that falls doesn't have enough time to accumulate because of the rising temperature of the ground and atmosphere. There has also been a lack of rain in Uttarakhand over the past 50 days, resulting in dry, cold weather. This causes dust particles to remain suspended in the air, causing fog and breathing difficulties.
• Forest fires: In Uttarakhand, large-scale forest fires occur every summer season, which leads to an increase in temperature. The ash and black carbon particles from these fires are increasing air pollution.
• Rapid construction work: Large-scale road, railway, hydroelectric projects, and other construction work is underway in Uttarakhand, which is generating dust. These dust particles are released into the air in large quantities, increasing air pollution.
• Burning of large quantities of bonfires: Winters are getting colder, and people are burning coal and wood to keep warm.
• Large-scale tree felling: Extensive road, railway, hydroelectric power projects, and other construction work are underway in Uttarakhand, leading to deforestation and consequently, climate change.
• Rising number of vehicles: Since the formation of the state, a vast network of roads has been built, and the number of vehicles has also increased rapidly. In Uttarakhand, 4.3 million vehicles have been registered in the last 25 years.
• Increasing tourists: Tourist destinations, like Nainital, Mussoorie, Kausani, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Auli, Joshimath, Jageshwar, Mukteshwar, Kainchi Dham, Ranikhet, Ramnagar and Corbett, are receiving a large number of visitors. The vehicles they arrive in result in exhaust fumes, increasing the temperature and contributing to air pollution. The number of vehicles further increase during the Char Dham Yatra.